Page 129 - Dark Shades of Istria
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6.3 wwii-Related Memorial Practices and Dark Tourism
memoration over the past (ideological) conflicts. The holy mass was also
a part of the commemoration, which is not customary in wwi i-related
dark commemorative events in Istria.⁴³
Residents of Istria are benevolent towards the heritage of anti-fascism
and wwi i, which is reflected by the aforementioned municipal holidays
and other dark commemorative events. The most extreme example might
be Tito’s Days in Fažana (Titovi dani u Fažani) near Pula, organised at the
beginning of May each year by the Association of Josip Broz Tito Fažana
and the Municipality of Fažana.⁴⁴ The purpose of the event is to pre-
serve the memory of Josip Broz Tito’s achievements and personality, anti-
fascism and anti-fascists, and the critique of the state power (especially
when the right-wing parties are in power) (Turistička zajednica Općine
Fažana, 2018; Palibrk, 2018). The participants of the dark commemora-
tive event come from the entire cross-border region, and from Zagreb,
Rijeka and Međimurje (Palibrk, 2018), which means that this event has,
besides the cultural and memorial one, also a tourist dimension. If we put,
like some scholars, e.g. Varadinova Mileva (2018), or Ivanov (2009), the
heritage of communism in the dark tourism context, then Tito’s Days in
Fažana can simply be understood as a ‘dark event.’ From the ideological
point of view, a completely diametrically opposed example is that of the
Civic Museum of Istrian, Fiuman and Dalmatian Civilization established
in 2015 in Trieste (Trieste Musei, n.d.) – see also Altin and Badurina (2017,
p. 318). Following the institutionalisation of the ‘National Memorial Day
of the Exiles and Foibe’ (Il Giorno del ricordo) (Altin & Badurina, 2017, p.
318; Orlić, 2012; 2015; Istituzione del ‘Giorno del ricordo’ in memoria delle
vittime delle foibe, dell’esodo giuliano-dalmata, delle vicende del confine
orientale e concessione di un riconoscimento ai congiunti degli infoibati,
2004), Italian schools have organised study tours to memorial places in
the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, where the traditional places of memories
of wwi i and irredentism are located (D’Alessio, 2012b, p. 62).⁴⁵ A similar
⁴³ During the post-w w i i period, ‘church processions were replaced by state commemora-
tions’ (Luthar, 2000, p. 98); see also Pavlaković (2016).
⁴⁴ The Brijuni Islands and Josip Broz Tito, as the statesman and president of Yugoslavia, are
also mentioned in the main tourist brochure of Fažana (Načinović, n.d.).
⁴⁵ The date coincides with the date of signature of the Paris Peace Agreement (1947), which
presents a provocative message of disagreement with the diplomatic solution of post-war
borders in the Upper Adriatic (Altin & Badurina, 2017, p. 324). Hence, only Italian victims
are officially commemorated on the occasion of Remembrance Day, while the Slavic and
other victims of the fascistic terror are not (D’Alessio, 2012a).
129
memoration over the past (ideological) conflicts. The holy mass was also
a part of the commemoration, which is not customary in wwi i-related
dark commemorative events in Istria.⁴³
Residents of Istria are benevolent towards the heritage of anti-fascism
and wwi i, which is reflected by the aforementioned municipal holidays
and other dark commemorative events. The most extreme example might
be Tito’s Days in Fažana (Titovi dani u Fažani) near Pula, organised at the
beginning of May each year by the Association of Josip Broz Tito Fažana
and the Municipality of Fažana.⁴⁴ The purpose of the event is to pre-
serve the memory of Josip Broz Tito’s achievements and personality, anti-
fascism and anti-fascists, and the critique of the state power (especially
when the right-wing parties are in power) (Turistička zajednica Općine
Fažana, 2018; Palibrk, 2018). The participants of the dark commemora-
tive event come from the entire cross-border region, and from Zagreb,
Rijeka and Međimurje (Palibrk, 2018), which means that this event has,
besides the cultural and memorial one, also a tourist dimension. If we put,
like some scholars, e.g. Varadinova Mileva (2018), or Ivanov (2009), the
heritage of communism in the dark tourism context, then Tito’s Days in
Fažana can simply be understood as a ‘dark event.’ From the ideological
point of view, a completely diametrically opposed example is that of the
Civic Museum of Istrian, Fiuman and Dalmatian Civilization established
in 2015 in Trieste (Trieste Musei, n.d.) – see also Altin and Badurina (2017,
p. 318). Following the institutionalisation of the ‘National Memorial Day
of the Exiles and Foibe’ (Il Giorno del ricordo) (Altin & Badurina, 2017, p.
318; Orlić, 2012; 2015; Istituzione del ‘Giorno del ricordo’ in memoria delle
vittime delle foibe, dell’esodo giuliano-dalmata, delle vicende del confine
orientale e concessione di un riconoscimento ai congiunti degli infoibati,
2004), Italian schools have organised study tours to memorial places in
the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, where the traditional places of memories
of wwi i and irredentism are located (D’Alessio, 2012b, p. 62).⁴⁵ A similar
⁴³ During the post-w w i i period, ‘church processions were replaced by state commemora-
tions’ (Luthar, 2000, p. 98); see also Pavlaković (2016).
⁴⁴ The Brijuni Islands and Josip Broz Tito, as the statesman and president of Yugoslavia, are
also mentioned in the main tourist brochure of Fažana (Načinović, n.d.).
⁴⁵ The date coincides with the date of signature of the Paris Peace Agreement (1947), which
presents a provocative message of disagreement with the diplomatic solution of post-war
borders in the Upper Adriatic (Altin & Badurina, 2017, p. 324). Hence, only Italian victims
are officially commemorated on the occasion of Remembrance Day, while the Slavic and
other victims of the fascistic terror are not (D’Alessio, 2012a).
129
